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THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Minutes of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church 2003

Monday, 7 July 2003 Second Session

The Chaplain led the Assembly in prayer.

The Assembly Clerk presented the minutes of Sunday 6th July. The Assembly approved the minutes.

Synod Presentation

The West Midlands Synod made its presentation.

New Ministers and CRCW’s

Synod Moderators introduced ministers and Church Related Community Workers who had been ordained or commissioned since the previous meeting of the Assembly, or transferred from other denominations. Each of those present was greeted in turn and received by the Assembly with applause.

Northern Synod (Moderator: Revd Peter Poulter)

Revd Andy Coyne St Bede & Grindon URC in the Sunderland & Bolton Partnership

Revd Colin Offor Teesdale Group

Revd David Walton Newcastle upon Tyne: Heaton

North Western Synod (Moderator: Revd Peter Brain)

Revd Helga Cornell Sefton Road

Revd Anne Gray Ravenstonedale

Revd Lena Talbot Revidge Fold & Trinity, Blackburn

Revd Mike Thomason Bolton West Pastorate

Mersey Synod (Moderator: Revd Graham Cook)

Revd Tim Jackson Joint pastorate of Vicars Cross, Caldy Valley & Farndon

Yorkshire Synod (Moderator: Revd Arnold Harrison)

Revd Stella Hayton Bingley & Shipley

Ms Lesley Whiting South Leeds

East Midlands Synod (Moderator: Revd Malcolm Hanson)

Revd Jane Campbell Lincoln District

Revd Gareth Jones Industrial Chaplain, Churches in North Lincs

Revd Paula Parish West Erewash Valley Group

West Midlands Synod (Moderator: Revd Elizabeth Welch)

Revd Peter Christie Hatherton URC

Revd Jacky Embrey Weoley Hill URC & Sparkhill United Church

Revd Marion Hartwell Lillington Free Church

Revd Cat Morrison Dudley URC & Zion URC, Langley Green

Revd Colin Phipps Penn & St Columba’s, Finchfield

Revd Susan Walker Wolstanton, Chesterton and Tunstall

Revd Heather Whyte Rodborough Tabernacle & Christ Church, Painswick

Eastern Synod (Moderator: Revd Elizabeth Caswell)

Revd Lorna Bantock Witham & Perling, Chelmsford

Revd Lyn Fowkes Brentwood & Ingatestone

Revd Nicholas Mark Felixstowe & Saxmundham, Ipswich & Colchester District

Revd Bruce Waldron United Bungay Circuit, Norwich District

South Western Synod (Moderator: Revd David Miller)

Mr John Saunders Penhill

Revd Angela Steele Larkhall & Rush Hill + Rural Officer, South Western Synod

Wessex Synod (Moderator: Revd Adrian Bulley)

Revd Michael Hopkins Twyford URC, Berkshire (with the ecumenical parish of Ruscombe & Twyford)

Revd Maria Hooper Southampton District & Ecumenical Chaplain at Royal Hampshire County Hospital

Revd Tim Meachin Dorset District and Christ Church, Creekmoor

Revd Leslie Milton Reading and Oxford District

Revd Linda Spokes Reading and Oxford District

Thames North Synod (Moderator: Revd Roberta Rominger)

Revd Jayne Bazeley Newham Group

Revd Meryl Court St. Albans, Trinity & Bricket Wood

Revd Samuel Cyuma Ilford, Vine

Revd Maurene O’Hagan District Minister for Healing, Counselling & Pastoral Care

Revd Jenny Simmons Ashwell, within the North Herts Group of churches

Southern Synod (Moderator: Revd Nigel Uden)

Wales Synod (Moderator: Revd Peter Noble)

Revd Dilys Brace Ely Pastorate in Cardiff

Synod of Scotland (Moderator: Revd John Arthur)

Revd Connie Bonner Annan

Revd Paul Jupp West Scotland Area

The Moderator greeted the new ministers and CRCW’s, and invited the Chaplain to lead the Assembly in prayer.

The General Secretary named those ministers who were celebrating ministerial jubilees during the year:

Ordained 1943

Ivor Vivian CASSAM

George Dudley CLARK

William James ELSE

Frank William HEWIS

George Archibald HOOD

William Edward PETERS

Thomas RUSSELL

Owen SKILLETER

James Edward WATSON

Ordained 1953

Ronald Herbert YOUNG

Garth ANDERS

William John BROWN

Bernard Oliver CHART

William CONNELLY

George CORFIELD

Alastair Norman DYKES

John Islwyn EVANS

Bernard Swain HOLT

Norman Watts KEMP

William Norman LEAK

John Wilson MCMINN

Philip MORGAN

Terence PERRY

John Craddock PRICE

Leslie PUGH

Derek Norman RICHMOND

Andrew Frank ROCK

Cecil Stewart ROSS

Stuart Ritchie Burness SMITH

Robert Arthur Christopher WEST

Mark WILSON

Those present were greeted by the Moderator, to the warm applause of Assembly.

Life and Witness Committee

The Convener of the Life and Witness Committee, the Revd Brian Jolly, presented the committee’s report, and invited the Revd Canon Joel Edwards, Director of the Evangelical Alliance, to address the Assembly.

Mr Colin Ferguson, seconded by the Revd David Williams, moved adoption of an emergency Resolution:

Emergency Resolution

This Assembly had heard today of the withdrawal by Canon Jeffrey John from his appointment as Bishop of Reading.

We realise that this is a time of great anguish for our friends in the Church of England and her ecumenical partners. Our prayers are with all those who have been hurt, and our hope is that by God’s grace this conflict may lead to a wider understanding of God’s love for all people.

The Emergency Resolution was carried.

The Assembly agreed that the text of the Emergency Resolution would be forwarded to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Oxford.

Mission Council

Mr John Ellis, on behalf of Mission Council, moved adoption of Resolution 7:

Resolution 7 Ministries

Recognising the current financial difficulties of the United Reformed Church, General Assembly:

i) reiterates the call it made in 1992 to church members to give at least 5% of their take home pay to the Church;

ii) agrees that for 2004, and until further notice, the target number of stipendiary ministers should be changed from that of the previous year by the same percentage as membership has changed;

iii) encourages Synods and District and Area Councils to develop appropriately flexible and adventurous deployment plans.

The Revd John Waller took the Chair.

The Revd David Bedford moved the following amendment:

Delete (i) and replace with:

affirms the biblical teaching on tithing and generosity and encourages all church members to take seriously this aspect of our discipleship ensuring that God’s work is not impeded through lack of finances.

Seconded by Megan Bedford.

Following discussion, the General Secretary moved that the motion be now put; the Revd Elizabeth Welch seconded. This was agreed.

A vote was taken and the amendment fell.

Following discussion, Resolution 7 was carried.

Finance

The Treasurer, Mr Eric Chilton, presented the finance report, and moved adoption of Resolutions 21 and 22:

Resolution 21 Accounts

General Assembly adopts the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2002.

Resolution 21 was carried

Resolution 22 Ministry and Mission Fund

General Assembly gratefully acknowledges the giving of the churches in 2002 to the Ministry and Mission Fund and the work of the local church, district and synod treasurers.

Resolution 22 was carried.

The Revd Roy Lowes, on behalf of Mission Council, moved adoption of Resolution 8:

Resolution 8 Westminster College Bursar

General Assembly agrees to the following changes to the Structure of the United Reformed Church

Delete ‘and Bursar’ from General Assembly function (vi) and replace ‘Board of Studies’ with ‘Board of Governors’ in that same function so that it reads:

‘..to make regulations respecting Theological Colleges belonging to the United Reformed Church, to appoint the principal, professors and other members of the teaching staff, and Board of Governors, and to superintend their work’.

There being no debate, a vote was taken and Resolution 8 was carried.

The General Secretary proposed that:

‘In accordance with paragraph 3(1) of the Structure, Resolution 8 be referred to synods with the 29th March 2004 as the final date for responses to the General Secretary as to whether or not this constitutional amendment be proceeded with.’

The Assembly agreed.

Church and Society Committee

The Revd Martin Camroux moved adoption of Resolution 16:

Resolution 16 Faith Schools

Assembly views with concern the Government’s commitment to increasing the number of ‘faith schools’ in England and Wales.

While affirming the right of local communities to decide the nature of their school, and regretting the lack of ‘faith input’ and promotion of a religious worldview to be found in some state schools, Assembly’s concern is that schools promoting a particular faith position may contribute to an erosion of our multi-cultural experience at a time when greater understanding and dialogue between faith communities is more vital than ever.

Welcoming the affirmation given by OFSTED to the teaching of Religious Education in schools, Assembly calls upon churches to support people teaching RE in state schools and encourage others to consider it as a vocation.

Mr John Ellis proposed an alternative to Resolution 16 [Resolution 16A]:

Regretting the lack of both “faith input” and promotion of a religious worldview in some schools, Assembly:

welcomes the contribution to British education of schools which seek to provide an ethos and religious teaching which promote good relationships in a pluralist society;

recognises that many of these schools have a religious foundation, including those schools linked with the United Reformed Church, and welcomes the example of best practice they can provide;

shares the concern of many people of goodwill about teaching in a minority of so-called “Faith Schools” likely to promote religious or racial intolerance;

calls upon churches to seek links with local schools with the objective of nurturing friendship and understanding as the essence of community; and

calls upon churches to support Christian teachers, particularly those engaged in Religious Education, and encourage others to consider teaching as a vocation.

Seconded by the Revd Nigel Uden.

After debate the Revd Wilfred Bahadur moved that the motion be now put. This was seconded and the Assembly agreed.

The Moderator called upon the Assembly to cast its votes in favour of Resolutions 16 and 16A: Resolution 16 fell, and Resolution 16A became the substantive Resolution:

Resolution 16 Faith Schools

Regretting the lack of both “faith input” and promotion of a religious worldview in some schools, Assembly:

welcomes the contribution to British education of schools which seek to provide an ethos and religious teaching which promote good relationships in a pluralist society;

recognises that many of these schools have a religious foundation, including those schools linked with the United Reformed Church, and welcomes the example of best practice they can provide;

shares the concern of many people of goodwill about teaching in a minority of so-called “Faith Schools” likely to promote religious or racial intolerance;

calls upon churches to seek links with local schools with the objective of nurturing friendship and understanding as the essence of community; and

calls upon churches to support Christian teachers, particularly those engaged in Religious Education, and encourage others to consider teaching as a vocation.

The Resolution was carried.

The Revd Alasdair Pratt resumed the Chair.

Mr Camroux moved adoption of Resolution 17:

Resolution 17 Millennium Development Goals (2015 targets)

General Assembly:

i) welcomes and endorses the Millennium Development Goals;

ii) pledges itself to work, with others, to see that they are achieved by the year 2015;

iii) reaffirms its commitment to the Trade Justice Movement and encourages congregations to support the campaign actively by writing to their MP and taking other relevant actions.

An amendement was proposed by the Revd Peter Linsay, seconded by the Revd Brian Holroyd Add:

iv) as an integral part of the process of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, encourages continued support of the movement for cancellation of the unpayable debts of the poorest countries of the world.

The Convener indicated his willingness to accept the amendment, and the amendment was carried.

The amended Resolution 17 was carried.

National Synod of Scotland

The Revd John Arthur, Moderator of the National Synod of Scotland, seconded by the Revd Mary Buchanan. moved adoption of Resolution 2:

Resolution 2 The National Synod of Scotland

General Assembly endorses the resolution passed by the National Synod of Scotland accepting and approving the six recommendations of the Scottish Church Initiative for Union Proposal.

Resolution 2 was carried.

Mr Arthur, seconded by Mrs Buchanan, moved adoption of Resolution 3:

Resolution 3 The National Synod of Scotland 2

General Assembly endorses the resolution passed by the National Synod Scotland agreeing that, in the event of any other partner church or churches rejecting the Scottish Church Initiative for Union Proposal, the United Reformed Church should proceed in the process with those partners willing to do so.

Resolution 3 was carried.

The General Secretary moved Resolution 6:

Resolution 6 Closure of Local Churches

General Assembly receives notice of the closure of the local churches listed below and gives thanks to God for their worship, witness, and service throughout their history.

Loftus, Durham & Teesside District Northern

Chorley Old Road, Bolton North Western

Weaste, Salford North Western

Somerset Road, Bolton North Western

Ladybridge Road, Cheadle North Western

Allithwaite North Western

Zion United Reformed Church, Wakefield Yorkshire

Horncastle East Midlands

Tolleshunt d’Arcy Eastern

Tower Road, Hindhead Wessex

Woodhall Farm, Hemel Hempstead Thames North

Clapham United Reformed Church Southern